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Search for Earth-like planet to rely on private funding

In August, astronomers using ground-based telescopes announced the discovery of a potentially habitable planet around Proxima Centauri, our closest neighbour at a distance of 4.22 light-years.

PHOTO: AFP

New York

A SCIENTIFIC research consortium on Tuesday announced plans to build and launch a privately financed telescope the size of a small washing machine in hopes of finding an Earth-like planet in the Alpha Centauri system, one of our closest cosmic neighbours.